Double or Nothing
by AccioRemus
Summary: Nearly 30 and fed up with his life Kurt Hummel takes an unplanned vacation to Vegas, the last person he expects to run into is his ex-boyfriend. Originally written for Klaine Endgame Fest, pre-4.04.


Kurt stepped out of the airport to join what seemed to be the world's longest taxi line and took a moment just to soak in the sun. It had been a dreary March in Ohio and even though he knew he couldn't stay in the Las Vegas sun for long without damaging his skin he was sure this little taste was worth it. He'd never had the urge to visit Vegas before, but it was the cheapest place that was far away from Lima, and that was all he'd cared when he booked the trip. When he finally got to the front of the line he slid into the taxi as the driver loaded his two large bags into the trunk. Kurt asked the driver to take him to New York, New York and he was finally on his way.

It's possible that he may have been punishing himself just a little when he selected the accommodations for his trip. Kurt couldn't help but think it was a little masochistic of him to stay in a watered-down version of the city where his dreams were supposed to take him. After all, his life was basically a watered-down version of the one he'd intended to have. He shook his head and sighed, he wasn't going to focus on that now. His crappy job fixing costumes for a struggling theater in Cleveland didn't even pay well enough for him to avoid his second job - trying not to strangle co-workers or customers at Macy's. No, everything about his normal life was off-limits this week. He needed to forget, just for a few days.

After he'd checked in and properly hung up his clothes he slathered on SPF 50 and headed out to the strip. Just because he'd decided to run off to Vegas at the last minute didn't mean he didn't do any research. There was a Marc Jacobs and a Versace store at the Forum Shops and he'd been putting a little money away here and there in case he found that one special piece. He spent a lovely afternoon shopping even though he didn't buy much. In fact, he spent a little too long flirting with that assistant at Versace. He barely had enough time to make it back to his room and change before the show he was seeing began.

By half past seven, Kurt was making his way through the casino and down the row of fake storefronts towards the theater. He'd heard good things about the comedy magic show he was going to see and the tickets were relatively cheap. Normally when he saw a show he got caught up in the production details, but since this wasn't traditional theater he could turn off the professional part of his brain and just enjoy. As he passed a bar claiming the best piano players, something caught the corner of his eye, a man disappearing through a side door. Kurt didn't see the man's face, all he saw was the head of wild, dark curls and the very familiar way the man reached up to adjust his bow tie as he slipped through the door.

Kurt took a step in the man's direction before reality crashed down on him and he pulled himself back. It had been nearly ten years, and there was absolutely no way he had just seen Blaine Anderson in Las Vegas of all places. He was still tempted to peek through the door, if only to put his mind at rest, but it was labeled "Employees Only" and he didn't want to get thrown out of his hotel on the first night.

Kurt shook his head, he was being ridiculous and he had a show to get to. He turned quickly and made his way to the theater trying to put all thoughts of Blaine out of his head. Luckily for Kurt, between the actual magic tricks and trying to avoid being drafted to participate in the show itself, he had almost two hours where he didn't have to think about his life. Once the show was over he headed back to his room. He had booked a tour to the Grand Canyon, thank you very much Groupon, and the pick-up time was at six the next morning.

If you want to put your problems in perspective, or at least be distracted, a bus trip to the Grand Canyon will do it. Kurt figured that if he believed in hell, a bus ride through the desert with the Marshall family of Beech Grove, Indiana might be it. Nancy and Bob and their four home-schooled children had stopped screaming and fighting with each other only for occasional off-key outbursts of what Kurt imagined must be Christian rock music.

After five minutes of seriously contemplating throwing himself out of the moving bus, Kurt was able to find another empty seat in the back. He put in his ear buds, selected a mellow playlist and watched the scenery go by. For now he really wanted to live in the moment, but he knew he couldn't ignore the things in his life that he wanted to change forever.

As jaded as he was, Kurt had to admit the Grand Canyon was stunning. Of course he knew it was large, that was kind of the point, but in reality the expanse of it was almost unbelievable. The colors in the rocks had him reaching for his sketchbook. He spent quite a bit of the time the tour allowed for exploring, sketching and taking pictures with his phone. After a boxed dinner and a chance to buy souvenirs they were once again herded back onto the bus. Kurt made sure to sit far away from the Marshalls. He let himself doze on ride back only waking up once they got back into the city.

When he was dropped off at his hotel, it was still early by Vegas standards, so he figured he might as well get a drink. He had a list in his phone of gay-friendly clubs, but he wasn't up for that tonight. As he made his way back through the hotel he remembered the bar with the piano players. That would do, and he had to admit he was a little curious about the man he had seen.

Kurt slid into an empty table at the edge of the room and ordered a gin and tonic. He smiled to himself when he realized the song currently being performed was Mellencamp. He really should call his dad in the morning and tell him where he was and when he'd be back. His smile faded fast and he pulled back towards the wall so fast he nearly fell off his stool when the other piano player joined in the song. That was a voice he'd know anywhere. He made himself take a deep breath, this was crazy. Surely it just sounded similar, Blaine had been on his mind and he was making it up in his head.

Very carefully, and hating himself for it more than a little, he slid off the stool and moved along the wall so he could get a better view of the piano player who was facing away from him. He was careful to stay out of sight, but was able to get a good look at the guy from the side. It was the same man he'd seen in the hallway earlier, dark, curly hair and a vest and bow-tie combination similar to what the dealers in the casino wore, and it was unmistakably Blaine Anderson.

Kurt knew people say that a breakup is never truly mutual, that someone doesn't want to let go, so someone is left broken hearted. In their case, it was mutual in that nobody truly wanted to let go and both of them were left broken hearted. In a way, he had kept his promise. They had never said goodbye, they just ran out of chances.

Though they had both made it to New York after high school, things didn't exactly work out as planned. Blaine had been required to live in the dorm his first year and they were lucky if they got to spend more than one night a week with each other. Then Kurt got an internship he couldn't refuse, a position at a theater in London. After a year of living in separate states and a year of living in the same city, but barely seeing each other it was just too much time apart. Ignored texts had turned into missed calls, which had turned into cancelled plans, which had turned into apologies and tears and hard conversations nobody wanted to have.

Though it had ultimately been Kurt who had ended it they had agreed to take a break and remain friends. They had thought that their lives would come back together and they would be ready to try again. But Kurt's internship had been followed by Blaine's study abroad, which had been followed by Kurt's job offer back in Ohio and nothing was ever the same. Eventually they had both learned to move on. Or at least Kurt had tried. He'd never found anyone to make him feel the same way. At first he had chalked it up to the magic of first love, but over the last couple of years, he had grown in the understanding that he and Blaine had something special. In fact, he had almost resigned himself to never having anything like that again.

He was pretty sure that he stood there blinking and staring for a little while, but the end of the song snapped him out of it. At first, he considered slinking out the door and changing hotels, but then he remembered why he was here in the first place. He might have gotten a little too carried away with living in the moment because he stepped up to the side of the piano and said, "Excuse me, can I ask you a question? I'm new here."

Blaine's face lit up immediately and Kurt had to choke back a gasp. It wasn't the Blaine Warbler performance smile that he had been on the receiving end of the first time, but Blaine's real smile that only a few people were lucky enough to see. Blaine just looked so happy to see him and the rush of memories that overtook him nearly took his breath away. It was amazing and almost too much pressure all at once. "Kurt! Can I give you a hug?"'

"Of course," Kurt said and leaned over to wrap his arms around Blaine's shoulders, covertly taking in the still familiar smell of Blaine's cologne and body wash, "I can't believe it's really you."

They broke apart after only a few seconds, but Kurt was already starting to relax a little bit. "You sound great, this is what you do? Play piano at the bar?"

He watched as Blaine put his nose in the air and said with tone of voice that could only be mimicking the most stuck up of Dalton alumni, "I'll have you know I am a contract entertainer at one of the best known entertainment venues in the world," Blaine shook his head and dropped the voice, "Seriously though, it took years of playing in lounges downtown for me to get this gig, and it's a really great job."

Kurt smiled, "You do seem to be a natural at it."

"It's not that different from performing a solo with glee club, although here the audience is a bit more openly intoxicated," Blaine said, "I can take a quick break, can I buy you a drink?"

Kurt agreed and they moved over the bar, Blaine was obviously friends with the bartender and they were served quickly. Bottled water in hand Blaine turned back to Kurt, "So, enough about me. What brings you to Sin City? I didn't think it was really your style."

"It's not really," Kurt said as he took a sip of his drink, "But I felt like a change and I could afford Vegas. I'm only here one more day before I have to go back to my soul-sucking jobs."

Blaine nodded, "I have to get back to singing or I'll never hear the end of it. Where are you staying? I'd love to spend some time together."

"I'm staying here actually, room 1604. I'd stay and listen but I went to the Grand Canyon this morning and the bus picked us up at six this morning," Kurt said.

"I understand the time difference is probably still getting to you too. I'll be in touch. I'm so glad you're here," Blaine said.

"Thanks for the drink," Kurt said placing his glass on the bar.

"My pleasure, now give me a hug and go get some rest," Blaine said wrapping his arms around him. Kurt did the same and let himself enjoy having Blaine that close before he reluctantly pulled back. He froze for a minute as Blaine reached toward him and deftly plucked his phone out of his shirt pocket. He watched Blaine tap the screen for a few seconds and then hand the phone back, "I put my number in, and called my phone so I have yours. Just in case."

Kurt nodded and began to walk away, before he turned and asked, "In case what? Are you going to need an emergency duet partner?"

"Worked the last time didn't it?" Blaine said with a shrug before turning quickly and returning to his piano before Kurt could catch his breath to respond. Kurt just shook his head headed up to his room. He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face as the opening notes of "Perfect" float out of the bar behind him.

As soon as Kurt got back to his room he threw himself onto the bed. What the hell was going on between them? They'd both been flirting, and he sure as hell didn't hug his other friends like that when he came to visit. What was Blaine looking for here? Was he just trying to be friendly and didn't know where the boundaries were? They'd been there before. Did he think Kurt was looking for a vacation fling? No, he had to know him better than that even now. He really didn't know what to think. Seeing Blaine had been nice, but nothing was going to come of it. They weren't kids anymore. Even if something was there, what would happen in two days when it was time for Kurt to go back to his real life? Being in the same place, at the same time was always the problem.

The next morning Kurt woke to a knock on the door. He quickly pulled a robe on and looked through the peephole to find what was obviously a room service waiter with a cart. He opened the door slowly, "I'm sorry, I didn't order anything. You must have the wrong room."

"No, sir. You are Kurt Hummel?" the waiter asked.

"Well, yes," Kurt said still confused. He may have been a little distracted the night before but surely he would have remembered ordering breakfast.

"Breakfast was arranged for you, Mr. Hummel. A non-fat mocha and blackberry crepes. I believe there is an envelope for you as well," the waiter said politely, nodding at the cart.

"Oh well, thank you." Kurt said, and crossed to the desk and retrieved his wallet to tip the man.

As soon as the waiter is gone Kurt teared open the envelope. Inside is a note on hotel stationary in very familiar handwriting:

Kurt,

I'd love to see you again. Meet me under the Eiffel Tower at noon.

Blaine

Kurt sat down heavily on the end of the bed, the note still in his hand. When he'd run out of patience with his life and booked his ticket to Vegas at 3 o'clock Tuesday morning, this was the last thing he expected. His time with Blaine almost seemed like another life compared to what had now. They had both been so full of hope, so excited about the possibilities for their lives. Fitting, since it had been those possibilities that had torn them apart in the end.

Kurt picked up his phone and checked the time; at least it was only eight. He had some time to decide what to do. There was something else he had to do this morning; it was time to confess to his little get away. He took a deep breath and dialed. It was mid-morning in Lima, and he was pretty sure his dad would be at the garage.

"Hummel Tire and Lube, this is Burt," the familiar voice said on the other end.

"Hi, dad," Kurt said. Just hearing his dad's voice helped calm him down.

"Where the hell are you, kid? I haven't heard from you in a week and Finn said he went by your place and nobody was home." His dad didn't sound angry, just concerned.

"I needed a break dad. Um, I'm actually in Las Vegas." There, he'd said it. Kurt didn't know why he felt bad for admitting it to his dad. He was an adult and he could take a vacation if he wanted to.

"Vegas, buddy? That doesn't exactly sound like you. What's really going on here? What about your jobs?"

Kurt slid up to the headboard and pulled his knees up to his chest as he struggled to find the right words, "I'm going to be thirty soon, and all I have at home is two jobs I don't care about. It's not exactly how I imagined my life."

"Kurt, I know it's not your dream job, and I guess you haven't had a boyfriend in a while, but you're doing just fine. You're going to figure everything out. Besides, Carole and I are proud of you no matter what."

"That's why I took a break, to figure things out. I'm not here because I'm sad I don't have a boyfriend, dad. I don't need a guy to be happy." Kurt said and he knew it was true. That was just one of the things that was wearing him down.

"I know, I know, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve someone who will make you happy. Remember, I've seen you in love Kurt. It looks good on you."

Oh, well that was right on target now wasn't it? Now he really had no choice but to get to the point, "Well, that is kind of why I'm calling. Dad, Blaine is here."

"You ran off to Vegas with Blaine? Damn, kid, you don't do anything by halves, but I suppose it's about damn time you both got your heads out of your asses. Don't get carried away, legal or not I still get to give you away! "

Kurt was on his feet in a second, "What? Dad! No! I did not come to Vegas with Blaine!"

Kurt was a little too busy trying to process what his dad had implied to be eloquent. Did he really think it would all be that easy, that Kurt would do that? That Blaine would do that? Apparently Burt Hummel did not consider it impossible that his son had eloped to Vegas with the high school boyfriend he hadn't spoken to in years.

His dad was talking again, "But you said..."

Kurt cut him off, "No dad, I ran into Blaine. He lives here. He was working and we didn't talk much last night, but now he wants me to meet up with him. "

"Geez, Kurt." He could almost picture his father taking his faded blue cap of and twisting it in his hands.

"And I'm going to infer from your earlier statements that you think I should go, and 'get my head out of my ass.'" It took a lot of self-control not to add any ass related innuendo to get a little revenge for his father's jumping to crazy conclusions. Still, he managed. After all, most of the time his father was awesome and Kurt had promised long ago not to put images in his head he'd never be able to shake.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but it is just one day. If there isn't anything there than you're just seeing the sights with an old friend. You didn't exactly break up hating each other. Sometimes in life you have to be open to the possibilities, just look at me and Carole." Burt said. He had promised himself he would live in the moment after all, and really he just had to stop trying to talk himself out of it. He had made up his mind the second he read the note.

"You're right, it's just a day. For all I know, Blaine wants to introduce me to his husband or something," Kurt said and then realized it might actually be the case and let himself flop rather inelegantly back on the bed as the possibility hit him full force.

Burt laughed, "No way kid. His Facebook says single. Isn't that how you kids keep track?"

"Dad, please tell me you are not still Facebook friends with my ex-boyfriend!" He didn't even know where to start with this one.

"I'm not, Carole is. We were having lunch in my office when you called and she figured you should be prepared. Relax buddy, it will be fine."

"I can't believe you two. I'm surprised he hasn't shown up for Thanksgiving dinner one of these years!" Kurt said, not sure if he was actually annoyed or not

Another chuckle, "Well if I thought that it might have done the trick I probably would have."

"Any other exes you two are keeping track of?"

"Just Marco, but that's just because if he so much tries to speak to you again he'll meet up with my blowtorch," Burt said.

"Dad!" He was sitting up again now, glaring daggers as if his father would be able to see them on the other end of the phone.

"Okay, Kurt, my lovely wife is waiting. Look, whatever happens try to enjoy your vacation and don't gamble too much away. Oh wait; I forgot which kid I was talking to for a minute. Don't blow it all at those fancy stores they have out there. Okay? "

Kurt laughed, "Got it dad, and thanks. I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"Love you too. You'd better not wait too long to call, Carole wants details"

Kurt rolled his eyes and ended the call.

Okay, he was going to do this. It was not a big deal; it was just a day with an old friend. He would just trick his brain; pretend it was Artie or Sam that he was meeting. He could always make something up about having plans later if it was too hard. He could absolutely do this. Of course, that lead to a bigger problem. Now, he had to figure out what to wear.

Later that morning, Kurt made his way through the crowds and crossed over the pedestrian bridge to the MGM Grand. His research had taught him that the entire casino had once been Wizard of Oz themed and he thought it was a shame they had traded something that glamorous in for such a generic look.

Once he managed to find his way out to the strip, he carefully dodged a fake Lady Gaga and a super-hero he couldn't identify and headed towards Paris. He stopped and took a quick glance at the show tickets available for that night, but he had to admit he was reluctant to make plans. If things went well he might be able to spend more time with Blaine and if they didn't he wouldn't feel like doing much of anything.

As he passed Planet Hollywood he couldn't help but roll his eyes over the "show" on the marquee. Some ex-model pretending to do magic in lingerie, not exactly something that was going to get him to spend his money there. He was surprised that it was nearly eleven by the time he arrived at Paris; it took so long to walk places. The sun was murder on his skin this time a day, so he wandered down the little corridor of shops in the casino not really looking at anything.

He stopped in the men's room to check his hair and couldn't help but laugh at the poorly translated, yet rather suggestive French phrases that were playing. Should he ever have the need to say "I'm sorry, my love, but I can't seem to remember your name" in French he was certain he could figure it out on his own. Smoothing imaginary wrinkles out of his vest he went out to the area under the base of the Eiffel Tower and found a shady spot next to the little hut that housed the bar. From there he could see the area around the base of the tower but he couldn't easily be seen.

A few minutes later, he saw a familiar figure weave his way through the tourists. He watched intently as Blaine ran a hand through his hair, straightened his perfectly straight bow tie, and looked around before checking the time on his phone. Kurt's eyes were glued to the man in front of him as Blaine looked around one more time before his shoulders sank. Kurt didn't want to keep Blaine waiting and worrying about whether or not he would show up, so he left his hiding spot and walked towards the tower.

"Thank you for breakfast," Kurt said making Blaine jump a little at the sound of his voice.

Blaine looked up at Kurt and seemed to immediately relax. "I figured you'd be up early with the time difference and I have some friends in the kitchens that didn't mind adding a note to your tray," he said.

"It figures," Kurt said, fiddling a little with the hem of his vest, "You probably have everyone in Vegas wrapped around your finger!"

"This isn't Dalton, Kurt," Blaine said, "I have it on good authority that there are several porn card distributors that did not appreciate my attempts at Spanish, or my insistence that I had no interest in their 'product'."

"Hmm, maybe I've finally found a benefit to not being able to pass. Nobody has tried to hand me one of those things yet!"

"Kurt!" Blaine looked like he was going to argue with him, but thought better of it, "Never mind. I promised to show you the town and I'd like to take you to lunch at of my favorite places on the strip. Have you heard of Mon Ami Gabi? It's a nice day; I thought we could sit outside so we can watch the fountain show across the street."

Kurt smiled, "That sounds great, but it looks busy, do you have time?"

"Oh, no problem," Blaine said as he lead Kurt back through the casino and over to the wooden walls of the inside portion of the restaurant. He watched as Blaine set a hand on the hostess's shoulder and whispered in her ear. Before he could blink they were being led through the tasteful restaurant and out to the patio. He gave Blaine a look.

"What?" Blaine asked, "It's really the perfect time of year for this, and it's a 'can't miss' Vegas experience. Can I help it if Melanie appreciated my being the entertainment for her bachelorette party a few months ago?"

A dozen one-liners flew into Kurt's head, but Blaine cut him off before he could even open his mouth, "Musical entertainment, Kurt. Melanie and her girlfriends were all members of the Portland Scale Blazers in high school. They wanted a sing-along and that's what they got. Stop thinking so loud, not every job in Vegas has a sleazy underbelly."

Kurt blushed, he knew that was the type of thing Blaine had meant, but it was Vegas after all. He tried to cover, "Actually I was just wishing I'd thought of a private session when Rachel got married, we're still banned from that karaoke bar in Chelsea."

Blaine laughed, "You can fill me in on what everyone's up to after we order."

Kurt took a moment to look over the menu and gather his thoughts. So far it had been easy, almost too easy. He couldn't get carried away, this was a chance meeting thousands of miles from home.

Once they'd ordered Kurt took over the conversation and filled Blaine in on bits of his life and the lives of his old friends. Between Finn and himself they heard from everyone at least once and a while.

"So are you ready for my VIP tour of Vegas?" Blaine said as they finished their main course before he blushed and corrected himself, "If you're free of course, I shouldn't assume you're here by yourself? Are you?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow and Blaine rambled a bit more, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, that's awesome. Wait, that didn't come out right either. Oh God, I'm not interrupting a romantic getaway am I?"

Finally, he decided to put the other man out of his misery, "Blaine, stop talking. Yes, I'm here by myself. You think I would have ditched a romantic vacation to hang out with you?"

He was teasing and Blaine knew it, but the truth was he probably would have, which is probably why he can't even remember the last time he had a romantic anything.

"So, the Blaine Anderson Vegas Tour Extravaganza? I already have the day off," Blaine asked nearly bouncing in his seat.

"What about you? Don't you have plans? A hot date maybe?" Kurt said watching those eyes he knew so well for a hint of Blaine's reaction to the word date.

"I'm all yours," Blaine blurted out. He then looked a little embarrassed and returned his attention to his empty plate. They were saved from talking when the music from the fountain show started. Both men turned their chairs to face the Bellagio and sat in comfortable silence as the fountains moved in time with a "One" from A Chorus Line.

"That was incredible," Kurt said when it had finished. Once the table had been cleared and Blaine had successfully managed to charm their waiter into letting him pay the check over Kurt's protests.

"So, the Blaine Anderson Extraordinary Vegas Tour?" Kurt asked.

Blaine clucked his tongue, "If you can't even remember that it's the Blaine Anderson Vegas Tour Extravaganza, maybe I should rethink this."

Kurt shook his head, "Extravaganza still gives me flashbacks of Rachel's horrid party."

Blaine winced, "Well if it helps, I haven't kissed a girl since then. Just trust me, we'll have fun."

"I do, and at least this time my dad won't catch you in my bed."

"No, but I'm sure Carole wants a full report," Blaine said with a wink, Kurt just shook his head and followed him out of the restaurant.

Blaine cheerfully led them down the strip to Excalibur. They had no problem finding things to talk about. Both of their tastes in music had expanded since they'd been apart and they had fun suggesting things they thought the other would enjoy. When they arrived at the fake castle Kurt couldn't help think the casino had a certain amount of tacky charm.

Blaine must have been reading his mind, "It might seem a little silly, but I kind of wish more casinos had kept their themes. We're going to walk through Luxor next and I'm sure it was better when they had an Egyptian decor."

"What is it now?" Kurt asked.

Blaine grimaced, "Generic, slutty nightclub."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a surprise," Blaine said, his eyes sparkling, "Okay, Vegas tip #1: A few dollars isn't worth eating on the low end, but if you don't know what you're doing you might as well gamble there."

"Low end?"

"Especially Excalibur and Imperial Palace. If the buffet is less than $20 for dinner you might as well eat at Denny's," Blaine explained as they stepped onto yet another escalator. It seemed like everything in Vegas involved an escalator of some kind.

Kurt had been looking around and had to say he agreed with Blaine about the atmosphere. Dark and boring with unnecessarily sexy ads plastered everywhere.

"Ooh shops," Kurt said as they arrived at the top, "are we in Mandalay Bay? Can we go to Lush?"

Blaine smiled, "Sure, go ahead and ruin one of my surprises by doing research. Yes we'll do some shopping, but after our first main event."

"Shopping is not the main event? Do you know me at all?" Kurt teased poking him gently in the arm.

Blaine's response was surprisingly serious, "I think so, probably still better than most people. Remember how you were supposed to trust me?"

"I remember, lead the way," Kurt said, his heart beating faster as Blaine grabbed his hand and led him down a long hallway.

"Excellent."

Kurt was lost in thought as they walked down a long hallway. He had the feeling that Blaine was trying to impress him, showing him more of the "Blaine Warbler" persona Kurt had met at first and not the sweet, slightly dorky Blaine that Kurt had fallen in love with. He knew that meant that Blaine was feeling really insecure, but he tried not to draw any conclusions from that.

Walking seemed to be the number one activity in Vegas, but finally they reached a large open area and Kurt saw the sign, "We're going to the aquarium?"

"We had so much fun at the aquarium in Chicago. This one is much smaller of course, but it's a nice break from the rest of the strip."

"I remember," Kurt said fondly, "This one's on me, you paid for lunch."

"Not this time, "Blaine said with a shake of his head, "Locals discount."

Kurt nodded, but his smile dropped as Blaine went to pay for the tickets. It was all too easy to pretend they were visiting Vegas together, but the reality was that he was supposed to go back to Cleveland soon and Blaine lived here.

The aquarium was nice and while Kurt had been reluctant Blaine had convinced him to pet a stingray and an eel. Actually, Blaine had wrapped himself around Kurt's back and guided his hand into the water. Somehow, he didn't think it was the odd texture of the eel that made him shiver.

When they finished at the aquarium, they went back to the shops as promised. Blaine stepped outside to make a quick call while Kurt shopped at Lush.

Kurt was trying to decide between two different vegan gift packs for Rachel when Blaine caught up to him. Kurt held up a blue box, "I think I like this one, but I'm worried that the smell might be too strong."

Blaine picked up the tester of lotion and pulled Kurt's hand toward him. He squeezed a tiny amount of the cream onto Kurt's wrist and slowly rubbed it in by swiping his thumb back and forth. It was all Kurt could do not to gasp at the close contact before Blaine lifted their hands up and slowly brushed Kurt's wrist with his nose. "Nope, smells good to me!" Blaine said with a smile, "are you almost finished? We've got a busy day planned."

"Blaine, what are we doing?" Kurt asked quietly, giving Blaine's hand a squeeze. He was sorry he'd asked almost instantly, and was a little more relieved than he'd like to admit when Blaine snapped out of his serious mood and deliberately misunderstood him. "Right now we're going to stop and smell the flowers. Come on, I parked here this morning so we don't have to walk everywhere. Vegas Tip #2: Everything is farther than it looks."

Blaine lowered their hands, but didn't let go until Kurt began to walk towards the checkout; his basket full and his knees a little weak.

Once in the car Kurt, wondered if they were going to leave the strip, but once they left the parking garage Blaine only drove a few blocks down a side street before pulling into another garage.

"We're at the Bellagio now; there are a few things we want to see in the middle of the strip. You can leave your bags in the car. We're using it again later," Blaine said slipping his keys into his pocket.

Kurt marveled at the huge, live flower arrangements and glass flowers in the reception area, wondering if this was what Blaine meant about smelling the flowers. As he looked at the intricately tiled floor something else caught his eye, a Hermes store right off the lobby area.

Blaine gave him a look of fake exasperation and waved his hand in the general direction of the entrance, "Go ahead, we've got an hour before we need to meet my friend Cecilia so you can shop for a little bit. Just leave some time for the original plan."

"Don't worry, I can't actually buy anything. I just want to look around so I'll have a list for EBay next year," Kurt said blushing, "I'll be back in twenty minutes tops."

As he browsed the displays and made an occasional note in his phone, he kept glancing back at the lobby. He was not a naive teenager anymore, and neither was Blaine. So he was fairly sure he was not making it all up in his head this time and that the other man wasn't oblivious to what he was doing. He still couldn't see the end result here, but maybe it didn't matter. The whole last-minute trip was supposed to be about living in the moment. It wouldn't be easy, but he could just live in the moment where Blaine was concerned as well.

When he returned to the lobby he found Blaine waiting with two large bottles of water. He handed one to Kurt, "Vegas Tip #3: Stay hydrated. Since you're used to more humidity you might not even notice until it hits you hard."

Kurt waited until Blaine took a gulp of water. "Yeah, nothing is as much fun dry," he said with a exaggerated leer and watched amused as Blaine tried not to do a spit take. Blaine just shook his head, and said something that sounded like "still zigging" under his breath.

When Blaine had recovered, he checked his watch and led them further into the hotel until they came to the most spectacular indoor garden Kurt had ever seen. Kurt quickly fished in his bag for his camera and grabbed Blaine's arm, pulling him to a small waterfall in a bed of purple and yellow flowers, "Let's start here!"

Kurt quite happily pulled Blaine from one feature to another, snapping a good number of pictures. In addition to the waterfall there were giant snails and frogs that seemed to made entirely of flowers, a line of watering cans the size of a person, and archways covered in every color of the rainbow. "I love this, I'll have to spend some time with my sketchbook soon. I can't tell you the last time I've been so inspired!" It was true. There wasn't much room for creativity at his job and after a while he just never seemed to find the energy to sketch. It was different now; his head was already spinning with ideas.

As they left the conservatory and weaved their way through what Kurt thought was one of the more tastefully decorated slot areas Blaine was busy tapping on his phone. When they came to a set of double doors marked "Employees Only" they stopped.

"Cecelia will let us in from here. She's on her way from her office," Blaine said, holding up his phone and giving Kurt a good idea who he'd been texting.

A few seconds later a door opened and a smartly dressed middle aged woman stuck her head out, "Blaine! Good to see you sweetheart! Come on in boys."

Blaine gave the woman a peck on the cheek and turned back to Kurt, "Cecelia Durant, this is Kurt Hummel. Kurt, Cece is the wardrobe coordinator for O, and has worked on some other Cirque du Soleil shows as well. She's going to give us a quick backstage tour. Cece, Kurt designs costumes for a theater back home in Cleveland."

Kurt just shook his head; once again Blaine had found the perfect thing for them to do. He was also pretty sure he was right about Blaine having Vegas wrapped around his little finger. Kurt followed Cecelia through the sets and equipment trying hard to absorb every word. Blaine merely trailed behind them looking both smug and amused.

When they finished their tour Blaine once again led them to the car and drove a little further down the strip. "We're going to Wynn and Encore next. I hope you don't mind, I made reservations at Allegro. It seemed kind appropriate we get some grown-up Italian food after all those meals at Breadstix."

Kurt smiled, "I'm sure it will great."

As they walked through the casino, Kurt took in all the decorations with interest. He really enjoyed the tile work and the basketball sized pomander like balls hanging from the ceiling. When they arrived at the restaurant Kurt couldn't help but notice that it was cozy, but not overly romantic. He wasn't sure whether the rush of emotions that overtook him was relief or disappointment. They settled in and placed their orders, Kurt chose a seafood risotto and Blaine the lasagna.

They passed their meal talking comfortably about anything and everything. "Try this," Kurt said, nudging his plate towards the middle of their table. Blaine smiled and took a little on his fork tasting it carefully, "Wow, that is good. Try mine?"

Kurt nodded, but was a bit surprised to see a forkful of lasagna being raised to his mouth. Sharing bites was one thing, but Blaine feeding him was something else all together. Kurt carefully took a bite and closed his eyes. The food was good, but the flood of memories was overwhelming. When they were together in New York they had made a point of never eating at the same place twice and were constantly sampling each other's food. It was possible that familiarity opened a door in their conversation as well.

While their lunch conversation had mostly been about the past, now they spoke rather candidly about the present. He squeezed Blaine's arm in sympathy when the other man talked about Cooper's problems with alcohol and his own loneliness when he had first moved out to Vegas. Kurt opened up about his decision to move back to Ohio and about Marco, who turned out to have a wife and toddler in Columbus. They talked about lighter things as well, like the horrendously tacky nursery Jesse and Rachel had created for their little girl. One of Kurt's favorite stories was how 8 year old Max Schuester had slushied two eleven year olds who were picking on Jeannie Sylvester even though she was year older than him. They lingered over dessert, not wanting break the mood.

When they went back to the casino Blaine looked around and smiled, "Have you gambled yet?"

Kurt shook his head, "No, I know it's kind of the point of this place, but I really don't have money to throw away. Besides, I really haven't had a chance."

"You do now, "Blaine said, gesturing at a row of machines, "Now, I don't recommend playing slots if you are going to gamble for any length of time."

"Another Vegas tip?" Kurt teased."

"Why yes," Blaine said with a chuckle, "Still, there is nothing like the little bit of a jolt you get waiting for the reels to line up. Is twenty bucks within your gambling budget for this trip?"

"I suppose," Kurt said, getting into the spirit of things a bit. What was twenty bucks after all; he spent that much on cheese at the West Side Market most weekends.

"Okay, good. Now, serious Vegas tip, if you play slots you should always play the maximum so you can win the big prize. It's better to pick a smaller denomination slot and play the two or three credits than play one credit for bigger money. See any dollar machines that look good to you?"

Kurt looked around until he spotted a section of Wheel of Fortune machines. "These," he said leading Blaine over, "My dad and I used to watch the show after dinner when I was younger. He'd never guess right, and I spent most of my time critiquing Vanna's wardrobe, but it was our thing. Maybe it will bring me luck."

Kurt fed the twenty dollar bill into the machine and pressed the max bet button. His first three spins didn't hit on anything, and he frowned as he watched his balance drop on the screen. Of course he knew that these huge hotels weren't here because people won very often, but it had been nice to hope for a minute.

"You've still got a few more tries, go again," Blaine said, and Kurt realized how close they were standing. He could feel Blaine's breathe on the back of his neck and he tried hard not to show what it did to him.

He reached up and hit the button again and watched as the screen stopped spinning and music started playing.

"Kurt! You got a bonus, that's great. Press the screen to spin the wheel!" Blaine said.

"Yes, I see the big flashing arrows telling me what to do," Kurt said. He wouldn't admit that his heart was beating just a little faster. He reached out and pressed the screen and then looked up when the screen prompted him. He felt Blaine's hands on his shoulders as they watched the wheel spin. Kurt could hardly believe it when it stopped on six hundred dollars.

He stared at the wheel and then the screen as the animated coins started falling. He covered his mouth with both hands to keep a rather humiliating scream from escaping. Still, he'd just about break even on the entire trip and he couldn't help jump up and down a little. He turned to find Blaine clapping and laughing as they watched the machine light up. Blaine leaned around him and hit cash out, tucking the ticket carefully into Kurt's vest pocket before pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Kurt was still laughing and soaking in the relief of not being out the money for his last minute trip after all when he looked down at Blaine. Blaine, who was in his arms and whose face was so close. Kurt heard the voice in his head telling him to live in the moment and he leaned further towards the other man. One minute Kurt was noticing Blaine tilt his head, and the next moment the other man was pulling back and stepping away.

Kurt couldn't move. He was so embarrassed and he had nobody to blame but himself. They'd spent less than a day together and here he was trying to live in the past. When he finally managed to look up Blaine was still there, standing several feet away from him with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the floor.

He registered Blaine saying his name quietly but shook his head. It was too much, he really couldn't listen to Blaine tell him that he didn't feel the same, that Kurt had misread every second of their time together.

"I think it's time for me to go. My flight is at nine tomorrow and I need to get some sleep. Thank you for showing me around, I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable," Kurt said with forced calm. When Blaine didn't look up, just shook his head and ran a hand through his hair Kurt turned and walked into the crowded casino. On autopilot, he stopped at the cage and cashed out his ticket, at least this trip had turned out to be a cheap total disaster.

Though part of him wanted to take a cab back to his room and curl up in a depressed weepy ball, Kurt took his time walking back down the strip taking in the lights and trying to clear his head. He thought he might be developing an obsession with the fountains because he found himself waiting for ten minutes for the next show and grabbing a few minutes of video on his phone to send to his dad and Carole. Personally, he thought the effect was better with the current more classical piece than the pop and show tunes he had seen so far. He was more than aware of the fact that this much analysis of the fountains was absolutely a way to distract himself.

When the show was over and crowd dispersed he stopped off at the Cosmopolitan. Kurt couldn't help feel the decor suited him the most of any of the places he'd seen so far so he figured this was as good a place as any to drink himself numb. He found a spot at the chandelier bar and had a cosmo while he checked his phone. He had a series of text messages from Finn:

Finn: Dude, I can't believe you went to Vegas without me! Do they really have topless shows all time?

Finn: Oh, guess you don't care about that. Can you get me some of those cards from the guys on the street like Puck was telling me about? You don't have to look at them. Oh, do they have guy one's for you? I don't want any of those.

Finn: Are you ignoring me? Okay, sorry I asked. Mom just told me you saw Blaine. No way! That's totally fate or some junk like that. Tell him hi.

Kurt shook his head and answered his stepbrother

Kurt 1. I sure did. and Yes 2. No and No. 3. He's here. Why do you say its fate?

Finn: Even with all the other junk in your life you were happy when you were with him. Now you've got junk again and boom! Blaine. Maybe you could be happy again?

Kurt: Life doesn't work that way.

Finn: Why not?

Kurt didn't really have answer for that so he switched over to Rachel's texts instead.

Rachel: Finn told me you saw Blaine. What's happening?

Kurt: Nothing is happening. Why does everyone think running into Blaine will be an instant happy ending?

Rachel: Last week you told me something was missing in your life. It's not crazy to think that Blaine could be what's missing.

Kurt: Of course it's crazy; I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know him.

Rachel: So you just saw him the once?

Kurt: I ran into him last night. We spent most of today together.

Rachel: And?

Kurt: It was too easy. It's not reality. In reality I live in a crappy apartment in Lakewood, and he lives in Las Vegas.

Rachel: Maybe you that's what needs to change.

Kurt: It doesn't matter. He doesn't want me. Why would he? I'm the idiot who fell for him all over again after a couple of hours; he doesn't feel the same way. I tried to kiss him and he stopped me.

Rachel: Did you talk to him, or did you run? Kurt, I just want to see you happy.

He didn't know what else to say, so he didn't reply. Instead he turned his phone off and ordered another drink.

Kurt didn't really notice anything around him as he wheeled his carry-on bag through the airport and joined the maze of the line for security. It was a good thing he'd gotten there so early, despite his mild hangover. It's not like he really wanted to linger in Vegas any longer.

He kept replaying the weekend over and over trying to make sense of what had happened, trying to figure out if he should have just walked out of the bar on Friday night and not dredged up the past. He knew as soon as he got home there would be questions and the fact that the only answer he had was a shrug was not going to satisfy anyone.

Maybe it would be different if Blaine had felt the same way, if he had let Kurt kiss him or if he had asked him to keep in touch. It's not like he had much to go back to. Things would be different if this weekend wasn't just a fantasy he had built up in his head.

He had to stop these thoughts. The truth was that Blaine hadn't asked him to stay and he pulled away when they got close. Kurt had put everything on the line last night and Blaine had rejected him. Again. He'd confessed his feelings to Blaine when the other boy was still hung up on Jeremiah, he'd asked Blaine to come to McKinley so they could have a year together, he'd even invited himself over to Blaine's the night they'd been each others' firsts. So many times he had been the one to bare his soul and risk rejection and he knew that last night was the last time.

He was alternating between reading his email on his phone and rolling his eyes at the people who couldn't figure out what to do once they got to the checkpoint despite having done the exact same thing at the other end of their trip when he thought he heard his name. He shook it off and pocketed his phone. He was getting closer to the front of the line and he didn't want to be one those people who weren't paying attention.

He saw people turn to look at some kind of commotion at the back of the line, but ignored it when his phone went off. He had a new text.

Blaine: Please turn around before I'm arrested by Homeland Security.

Kurt whipped around so fast he almost dropped his phone. Before he even understood what he was doing he was pulling his bag behind him and apologizing to the rest of the line. He headed straight for the disturbance at the back of the crowd, ducking under the line markers when he needed to. When he got to the edge of the crowd he finally spotted Blaine, who was out of breath and jumping up and down trying to find Kurt over the top of the crowd.

"Blaine," Kurt said, pulling the other man's attention to where he was standing, "What are you doing here?"

Blaine stepped toward him and wrapped one of Kurt's hands in both of his, "Kurt, I'm sorry about last night. I know that things were rough, but when you gave up on us the first time it nearly destroyed me. I was so overwhelmed and I couldn't handle kissing you and then having you leave again. I needed time to think. We may not get another chance so I'm asking you to put us first. Kurt, you need to know that yesterday I fell in love with you all over again. You still move me."

"Blaine," Kurt started and then words failed him completely. Had he given up on them? Had he been selfish and deluded to think that Blaine didn't want to save their relationship all those years ago? Oh God, break-ups were never mutual. Kurt stared at the other man and tried desperately to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

Thankfully, Blaine just kept talking. "I know your life is in Ohio, and I have no right to ask, but stay. Kurt, stay with me and give us a real chance. You can get a job here, and flights are cheap. We can fly your dad and Carole here to visit all the time. I know you're not happy in Cleveland, but if you think there is a chance you could be happy here with me then please say you'll stay."

Kurt couldn't move, his thoughts were spinning. It was crazy, even when he'd been thinking about it he'd never really considered it an actual option. Did he think there was a chance he could be happy there with Blaine? Yes, something deep inside him told him he could be and the people who knew him best seemed to agree. Still, people didn't do things like this after barely a day together. Luckily, Kurt had never been very interested in doing things the way other people did them.

"Yes," Kurt said throwing himself into the other man's arms, "Yes, I love you. I've never felt the same way about anyone else. I'm not sure I deserve another chance but I'll take it. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but this time we are going to figure it out together."

Kurt was well aware that they were both crying in the middle of McCarran Airport, but he really couldn't care less. Happier than ever to live in the moment Kurt grabbed a handful of Blaine's shirt and pulled him close for an enthusiastic kiss. Several catcalls reminded them of where they were so they pulled back and just held each other for several minutes until they felt calm enough to break apart. At least the security officers that had been closing in on Blaine had backed off. Kurt smiled tearfully and asked, "Now what?"

"Now we see if they'll change your ticket to next week so you can get your stuff and then I'm taking you home," Blaine said.

Kurt nodded, "Home, I like the sound of that." He knew that they needed to have some serious conversations about both the past and the future, but he also knew that he was exactly where he should be. Some gambles are worth the risk.


End file.
